Shoe plate



May 13, 1924. '1,493,903

1 F. SMALL.

SHOE PLATE Filed March 29.1918

Patented May 13, 1924.

unirse srarss rassen Parser orties.

LEW'IS Fi SMALL, OF BRAINTREE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO C. C. BLAKE,IN- CORPORATED, Ol? BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION 0F NEW' YORK.

SHOE PLATE.

Application 'lcd March 29, 1918` To all whom t may concern:

lie it knovvn that I. Lnvvrs F. SMALL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Braintree, in the countyv of Norfolk and State oflilassachusetts. have invented certain Improvements in Shoe Plates.; ofwhich the following' description -in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawingsindicating' like parts in the several figures.

The present invention relates to plates which are located upon the treadsurfaces of shoes to resist the Wear thereof, and more particularly toplates used on the tread surfaces of soldiers shoes intended for trenchuse overseas.

At the present time the Government speci tieations call for a horse shoeshaped plate to be. secured to the tread face of a heel along theperipheral margin thereof. rlhis plate has proved unsatisfactory owingto the conditions in the trenches overseas. .ln order to provide a firmfootingr in the trenches the bottoms thereof are covered With a grating,called a duck Walk` which becomes so slimy that chicken Wire is laidacross the gratingY in order to prevent slipping. This Wire catches inthe front ends of the heel plate hereinbefore referred to causingthesoldier to trip and fall or the heel plate to be ripped from the shoe.Another great objection to the use of the heel plates as at presentspecified is that the plates do not prevent Wear alonef the breast ofthe heel. t the present time when the breast of the heel becomes Wornthe shank breaks dovvn at the breast line thus allowing the shoe to turnup at the toe and heel thereof.

As at present constructed both the field and trench shoe for army use,similarly to shoes for civilian use. Whether provided with heel platesor not. are liable to produce flat feet owing to the .manner in whichthe heels are built. In these shoes there are three critical groundengaging pivotal points located on the heel. The first critical ,aroundengaging pivotal point is located on the ontside edee of the back of theheel, the second critical point is at the outside breast corner and thethird critical point is located at the inside breast corner. l/Vith thisconstrue-tion the foot must tip inwardly laterally to bring the shoefrom the outside breast corner to a bearing on the inside breast cornerwhich serial no. 225,553.

forms the main support for the body in Walkingv as the point ofarticulation of the lower leg bones With the astrag'alus is directlvover the ii'isidc breast corner. Experience has demonstrated that thismanner of locating` the three critical ground engaging* pivotal pointsis responsible for the inward flop of the foot in Walking.

. The object of the present invention is to produce a heelplate whichwill obviate the use of the leatherfillingnon' used thus effecting' aconsiderable economy in the shoe carrying the plate, which will protectthe heel breast from weer, which will prevent catching in the chickenwire of the duckl Walks. and which will have four critical groundengaging pivotal points located so as to avoid the inward roll or iopofthe foot in Walking. f

To the accol'nplislunent of this object, and

such others as may hereinafter appear, the features of the inventionrelato to certain constructions and arrangements of parts hereinafterdescribed and then set forth broadly and in detail in the appendedclaims which possess advantages readily apparent to those skilled in theart.

The various features of the present invention Will be readily understoodfrom an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which7 Figure 1 is aplan of a shoe having my improved heel plate thereon, and

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2. Fig. 1.

The heel plate l illustrated in the drawings is secured to the treadface of a heel 2 by a series of nails 3. The heel plate l is providedwith a portion 4 which extends along the margin of the breast of theheel from the inside breast corner towards but not reaching the outsidebreast corner 6. This portion protects the breast of the heel.

The heel plate turns at the breast corner 5 and extends partially aroundthe peripheral edge of the heel to the point 7 Where it turns abruptlyinwardly towards the median line of the heel. At the point 8 indicatingthe median line of the heel the plate bends in a reverse direction andextends towards the back of the heel terminating,r in a bevel 9 spacedfrom the portion of the plate at the back of the heel.

With this construction the outside breast corner 6 is uncovered by theplate. The

irst critical ground engaging pivotal point of the shoe provided with myheel plate 1s located at 10 as in all shoes. The second critical groundengaging pivotal point, instead of being located at the outside breastcorner 6, is located at 1lVV and the third critical point at l2. Bymeans of this construction the shoe is brought to its final Weightsupporting position at;l the inside breast corner 5, the fourth criticalground engaging pivotal point, Without the quick inward Hop or rockwhich heretofore has been a characteristic feature of all shoes.

As my heel plate is provided with a portion extending along the medianline of the heel it is not necessary to lill the space left by theplatewith leather or hob nails thus effecting a considerable saving in stockand in labor in making and tltting the leather or hob nails. r

The heel plate is beveled at 9 so as to prevent the Wedging of a stonebetween the end of the portion of the heel plate extending along themedian line of the heel and the portion of the heel plate at the back ofthe heel.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in connectionWith a heel plate it will be readily apparent to those skilled in theart that certain features of the invention are applicable to toe plates.

lVhat is claimed as new, is:

l. A shoe having a heel plate secured to the tread face of the heelthereof, said heel plate having a portion extending from the inside ofthe shoe across the heel at the breast thereof, leaving unenclosed theoutside breast corner of the heel.

2. A shoe having a heel plate comprising a strip secured to the treadface of the heel thereof, said heel plate extending around and partiallyenclosing the marginal edge of the heel, the marginal edge adjacent theoutside breast corner of the heel being the part left unenclosed.

3. A heel plate comprising a strip curved to fit the. rear margin of theheel having an end portion thereof bent angularly to extend partiallyacross the heel and thence rearwardly within the curved portion of thestrip, said latter portion extending along the median line of the heel.

Ll. A shoe having a. plate comprising a strip secured to the tread faceof the heel thereof, said plate having a portion terminating in anextremity extending partially across the breast of the heel, anotherportion extending partially around the peripheral edge of the heel,another portion eX- tending partially across the heel on a lineintermediate the breast and back of the heel, and another portionextending along the median line of the tread face of the heel towardsthe back of the heel, the marginal edge adjacent the outside breastcorner of the heel being left unenclosed.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification.

LEWIS F. SMALL.

